“There is a glimmer of hope. For if COVID-19 is a precautionary tale, it is also a crash course in the possible.” ~ María Mendiluce & Jose Siri
The choices we make today to rebuild and restart our economy will shape our society, health, and climate for decades to come. The crises of wealth inequality, racism, and ecological decline are intertwined and intensify one another. The Just Recovery movement is a broad, global initiative to address those inter-connected challenges and ensure a recovery that leaves no one behind.
You can join us in building a just recovery through our new working groups where volunteers work together to learn and take action and connect with local projects in progress. Your ideas, energy and time are welcome!
So far, we have working groups active on the following topics:
- Housing and basic income
- Food security
- Indigenous rights and partnerships
- Biodiversity
- Waste reduction
- City Council Watch
- Public Education and Outreach
To volunteer, send an email to Climate Momentum at hello@climatemomentum.ca.
Housing and basic income. One of the six principles of the Just Recovery is to “strengthen the social safety net and provide relief directly to people”. You can join a working group learning about affordable housing options and a universal basic income and connecting with local advocates.
Food security. You can help address issues of local food security. So far this working group has connected with The Local Community Food Centre and a high school garden project and seeks to offer support for expanding initiatives that increase access to local food.
Indigenous rights and partnerships. Two local youth are facilitating a working group to learn more about issues of Indigenous rights and how to work in partnership with Indigenous communities, which is also one of the six principles of the Just Recovery.
Biodiversity. A group of volunteers have come together as “Biodiversity Stratford” and welcome your help for urban rewilding projects that restore native species and more natural habitat. The potential impacts of rewilding are huge and diverse, from support for pollinators, to storm water management, to better mental health.
Waste reduction. This working group is working with community groups to revive a recent project aimed at banning disposable plastic shopping bags. The convenience of single-use plastics has a devastating environmental cost in terms of pollution, fossil fuel use, and the energy required to produce and transport things that we immediately toss away.
City Council Watch. Presentations and attendance at public Council and committee meetings, correspondence to Councillors, and other activities show citizen support for City Council action on climate issues. To effectively advocate, we need to be aware of the reports, recommendations, and decisions that are coming to City Council and its committees. You can be part of a working group that keeps watch on climate-related issues that come up in local government.
Public Education and Outreach. And to help amplify all of these projects for climate action and a Just Recovery, we have a working group focused on public education and outreach. They organized the Just Recovery poster campaign and contest that runs until September 18th! They are planning other initiatives to promote climate and social action locally.
